Star Gazing
by thanksforlistenin
Summary: They had been friends over two decades ago, and it seemed they were going to just pick up where they left off... for a while anyway.   Eventual Raylan/OC
1. PROLOGUE

The night was freezing cold. Nothing could keep the to the bone chill from her pale skin. All she wanted to do was go back home and sleep. To curl into a ball of blankets, turn on the electric blanket and the house heater, and be pronounced dead to the waking world.

But no, she was here, waiting outside some god forsaken, run down hell hole waiting for the most frustrating man she had ever had the pleasure of calling a friend. She was sixteen for sliced sake! The last thing she needed was to find friendship in a nineteen year old trouble maker.

But she was there, patiently waiting for him to get the slip on his father. Like every other summer, she was stuck in the Podunk, rundown, hick infested state of Kentucky. She supposed she could do what her sister decided on: spend the whole summer working and slaving away in Oakland, just a measly eight hours from home. But being the idiot she was, Olivia Grayson wanted adventure; and at eight, the time she made her decision for the rest of her life's worth of summers, riding on an airplane all by herself was the greatest opportunity yet.

Little did she know her aunt would stick her in the hospital, and unbeknownst to her, it would come to be her life's aspiration to be the doctor of such a place as the clinic her said aunt started. And more importantly, she hadn't known she would meet her greatest friend in the whole state.

Raylan Givens.

She had met the pain in her ass when she was nine, he was twelve. Hehad driven almost two hours to see her aunt and when he was nearly five minutes way, crashed the car he had jacked from his own father.

Auntie Lola was a saving grace apparently.

Taking him under her wing when his father got a little 'jumpy,' as she had put it; and it wasn't until Olivia was twelve that she realized what her dear aunt had meant by that.

So here she stood, nearly seven years later, waiting for the same boy she had spent nearly every waking moment with every consecutive summer. Two hours away from her warm comfy bed. The weather didn't make a lick of sense, it was summer… in Kentucky. But somehow it was nearing the low fifties, with a wind chill factor the young brunette didn't even want to consider. Huffing out of frustration, she saw her breath come tumbling out into the air like mist from a great waterfall. The trees seemed to be swaying to the huffing and teeth chattering song she had been playing for the last ten minutes. The great oak's limbs dancing gracefully, leaves making a beautiful and hypnotizing ballet of green and deep brown.

"Boo" the voice came right next to her ear causing her to jump and swing around, fist out first.

And that fist very nearly gave one surprised Kentucky boy a black eye.

"Raylan Givens!" she whisper yelled, hoping not to wake his father, though she knew he was most likely passed out in a drunken stupor in the living room "Never, do that again! You scared me half to death!" Olivia's face red, and not with happiness. Not only had she driven nearly two hours in the middle of the night, but was then forced to wait in the freezing cold for an immeasurable amount of time, only to have her supposed friend scared the living shit out of her.

Happy was not an adjective she would use at the moment.

A charming smile came to his smug punk-ass lips, as he looked down at her. His hair was a mess, and his cloths wrinkled beyond repair, but his oddly shaded brown, green and other listless colors, eyes shone with a happiness she hadn't seen in a while. It made her anger subside, but also put her in a state of anxiety; his eyes had shone like that nearly a month ago, one of the last times she had that light, right before he chucked her into the lake a mile and half outside of Harlan.

"You could have killed me with that powerful punch" Raylan, always one to tease about her lack of strength when it came to fighting, headed towards her car with a bundle of unknown objects in his hand.

Being a California girl, she had to learn far too many things from her Kentucky best friend. How to shoot a gun, how to take whisky, how to understand half of what the people in the damned towns were saying, and how to throw a good punch.

"You would have been so stunned, if you were a predator, I would have had time to run like hell," she walked a bit behind him to the driver's side, aiming her comment at him with a proud glare.

"I would have caught up to you before you even made it in the car" he answered back smoothly, a cocky but matter-of-factly look on his devilishly handsome face.

"I wouldn't care," she grabbed a shotgun hidden under a blue plastic tarp from the back of the truck. "Who said I wanted _in_ my car?" her eyebrows raised defiantly as she stared at him head on.

"Put that thing away before you hurt yourself," his non-reaction made Olivia roll her eyes.

Muttering under her breath, she gently put the gun back in its rightful place and hopped into the driver's side door.

Before they knew it, they were headed… actually she didn't know where they were headed.

"Raylan? Where are we going exactly?" she turned out from his driveway and headed back to the main road.

"Make a left up here, at the broken barbed wire fence,"

For the next twenty minutes or so he gave her odd directions like that. She was glad her car had four-wheel drive, because the thing she was diving on was not considered a road… in any stretch of the imagination.

"Stop, pull up just a little… okay park" before any more explanation could be made, the nineteen year old was out of the car. Slowly Olivia followed. She was supposed to be sleeping. She left in the morning for another year. Summer was ending. Perhaps her leaving was signaled by the sudden weather change, not that she believed the weather was dictated by her comings and goings.

Sighing she found Raylan in the bed of her hammy-down truck. She had loved this truck for the last two years, learning to drive a clutch from her aunt and Raylan.

"Raylan, this better be good, because I'm freezing" her dry humor was not lost to the only male in the vicinity.

"Come on ice queen" he replied with a struggle to keep his smile off his face.

When they had first met, she was a wee little nine year old that wanted nothing more than to stitch up his laceration. She had found _delight_ in his wounds, but not the emotional ones, the physical ones.

Everyone he had ever met knew who he was, because of his father, or because he had pissed on their lawn or some other god-offal prank.

But the little naïve girl from California had no preconception about him, and because of this, they became fast friends. She had shown him around the hospital when her aunt was working and couldn't do much with either of them, and little Olivia, or as he had called her for as long as they had known each other, Olive, knew every inch. She spent so much time inside, he had realized, she missed all of the fun that could be had outside.

So he made it his summer goal to get her outside… and it wasn't all too hard.

They had been best summer friends ever since.

Olivia had made it onto the truck bed, finding the objects in his hands from earlier were blankets and pillows.

"Why do I feel like you're about to drop and A bomb on me?" she knew him to well, and that made the country boy finally let go a smile. They may only talk for three months of the whole twelve, but she knew him like the back of her hand, and he knew her.

"Because I am," he laid down on one side, and she on the other and they, together watched the stats.

"Just tell me" she said after a few minutes of nothing but frogs and crickets.

"I'm leaving Kentucky," they sat in silence star gazing for a while before Raylan turned his head towards one of his closest friends. Her face was straight, as if he had said nothing at all. But he could see the tall-tale signs of sadness. When she bluffed, she knew and sensed every single muscle on her face, and controlled it acutely.

That was her tell; she was too composed, to stiff.

He waited for her to comment about it, but it never came. He was about to speak when she gave her one word reply.

"Good"

**SO, WHAT DO YOU THINK? I'm GOING TO PICK IT UP ABOUT… OH, 22 YEARS FROM THIS MOMENT… AHHH! CRAZY RIGHT? RNR MY FRIENDS :)**


	2. Welcome Home

It was nearly freezing when Olivia stepped off the plane. The little tarmac was centuries behind in new accommodations. They had yet to get the new tech, and a part of her guessed they never would. Kentucky was always a staple of independence from the outside world. They sat what seemed to be frozen in time, and the only thing that changed was the weather.

Walking towards the double doors, brown eyes darted back and forth looking for anything that was similar. Their task soon changed when the owner of said brown eyes realized it was a job to find anything _different_. Everything looked almost exactly the same. The concession stands, all two of them. Same chairs, color scheme, wall paper, and half of the same staff.

Dragging the one suitcase behind her, her messenger bag, otherwise known as her purse, draped across her shoulder and chest, the realization of where she was stopped her dead in her tracks.

She was eighteen the last time she visited Kentucky in the summer. There were a few odd visits here and there to see Aunt Lola, but other than those long weekend visits, she wasn't sure how exactly long it had been. How long it had been since she would be staying for… actually, she wasn't sure how long she would be staying. However long it took she supposed. Summer wise she was out of 'the know' for how long it had been.

Scratch that, she could do simple math, she didn't become a doctor because she cheated on all her exams now did she?

Twenty years.

The brunette hadn't been in the state for longer than three days in nearly twenty years. She had been eighteen the last time she spent the summer, and then went off to college and eventually medical school. And now she was back, at thirty-eight, and for the most terrible reasons.

Sighing deeply, she let the melancholy cloud her mind as she continued on to the small family owned car rental place; checked in, got the keys, put her bags in the back, and getting in the driver's seat she started heading to…

…

She had no idea what to call it.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Raylan leaned back in his chair, hat propped haphazardly on this desk… somewhere. It was buried under ten feet of paperwork. The last case had been one his mind didn't want to think about, but that was okay, because he was now thoroughly distracted by getting very nearly killed the night previous while spending some quality time with Ava Crowder.

The adrenaline ran ramped through him, and there at his little desk, he relived every second of attack over in his head. Every move he made, every move his opponent made. A small twinge from his face reminded him said opponent got in a few good punches himself. Overall, as he catalogued it with every other fight he had been in, it wasn't too bad. Ava was a bit shaken up, but physically she was fine. Raylan, himself, was fine… mostly fine. He was restricted to the boring job of desk duty… with a mound of paperwork that was far from what should be considered legal.

"Raylan, I'm gonna' go get some lunch. You wanna' tag along?" Chief Deputy Art Mullen looked at him expectantly, waiting for a response, while he pulled his coat on over his dual holsters. Fiddling with his collar, he eyed his newest deputy. There was, and still was, some concern for one Mister Raylan Hotshot Givens. He was under no allusion that the man leaning back with his feet propped on his desk was nothing short of an amazing marshal, he wouldn't have taken him otherwise. However, it was his mental health he was worried about. Getting involved with Ava Crowder, not that he would admit it of course, but he wasn't Chief because he was out of the loop. Along with that came his ex-wife, Winona Hawkins, to plague his mind with the ever present failure that was his marriage. Over all, everyone in his life he either knew from childhood, most likely because of his father, or from screwing them over in adulthood.

Happiness. That was what Art wanted for the man ten years or more his junior. He deserved it, after all he had been through, after all he had done. Starting off as a Marine, but then to devote his whole life, one way or another, to serve his country… the boy needed to get off his giving back stage, and start taking in something to get him happy. Not that he thought Ava didn't get him happy, but he had seen enough men in love and happy to know when it was just a passing fling, and when it really accounted for something.

"Nah, I'll stay 'round here, finish up this paperwork," he said causally with an air of finality, he really had no desire to move. After the fight Raylan had been up the rest of the night, and by god was he exhausted.

"Suite yourself. I'll be back in an hour," Art replied, making the last part loud enough for the other deputies in the area to know his plans and estimated time of return.

With one more glance, Art was out the door and down the elevator.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Olivia decided to stop at the small dinner in order to eat for the first time in nearly eighteen hours. Her stomach had been growling for nearly a third of that time, and it was about time she appeased its desperate cries. Her rental car parked outside the small, family owned dinner, the brunette stepped through the double doors and was hit with a wave of nostalgia she had never experienced before. A million memories poured over her mind and body like a bucket of cold water.

She had had some of the best, and come to think of it, worst moments of her life in this diner. She had met her only boyfriend in high school in this diner. She had broken up with her only boyfriend in high school in this diner. She had watched helplessly, something she couldn't stand feeling, as Raylan Givens got the shit kicked out of him after attempting to kick the shit outa someone else. There had been so many life changing times in this small, nothing special diner.

Even the pie was a little dry.

But it was here, she had been fifteen at the time, that she had thrown her first punch. It may not have been that big of a deal to most people, but it had caused her to approach herself and who she was and wanted to be, completely differently.

By now she had reached a small booth in the back of the place and placed an order for coffee, and their signature chicken sandwich, she just hoped they were as good as she remembered them to be. Her mind shifted gears then, back over twenty-two years ago…

"_Come now sweetheart, you know I love ya' toots, I just got lonely when you didn't come to the party last night" Billy Crow continued to reach out to a fuming Olivia Grayson. They had met in the corner booth a little over a month ago, and after two days, he asked her to be his girlfriend. _

_To say many were shocked would have been an understatement. Billy the straight nose kid, as some called him was infamous for his perfect nose. It was sad really, that his only characteristic that people saw as valuable was his perfect nose, hair, chin and eyes. The boy was very handsome, that was for sure. But really? 'The straight nose kid?' what kind of nickname was that?_

_His supposedly perfect face was far too close for comfort, causing Olivia to push by him and head for the door, but before she could reach it, her former boyfriend had to go and make a comment. _

"_You know, it's pathetic really, you'll go run off to little Raylan and he'll fight your own battles for you. We all know you're in love with the yank anyway, too bad your nothing more than a girl he hangs round cause he feels bad for ya," he and a few of his pond scum of friends laughed, and the girl he had practically humped the night before, Lillian, aka Satan's spawn, giggled next to him; all looking at her with taunting and teasing eyes. _

_Olivia had always been able to stand up for herself, but she had never really liked a guy that liked her back. She felt so childish that her one-month 'relationship' had gotten her all worked up. But they were right about one thing, Raylan did fight all of her battles for her. Not because she was weak, but when she was home, it was a constant fight, and it felt good to come to Kentucky and have someone have your back all the time. The laughing stopped for a second as the bell that hung above the door dinged. _

_It was like the movies, Raylan entered the diner, and from what Olivia could tell, he had begun to see red. _

"_What did you just say?" he was deathly calm; everyone held baited breath to see what the boy would do. It was widely known that during the summers, the country boy left his home county and headed down to Lexington, most of the time spending weeks at a time with Aunt Lola. So it really shouldn't have been that shocking he was now standing in the doorway to Momma's Diner with nothing but calm and controlled rage on his face. _

_Olivia didn't even know that such a look was possible. _

"_I said…" Before he could even start to speak, Givens lunged. The yells and screams came from everyone, shocked into silence that there was such violence in such a peaceful place. The diner was known for the peace it brought with its low key customers. _

_That peace was not so apparent then however. The crashing sound of tables and chairs brought a clamorous uproar that sent everyone into a frenzied panic- especially the Cali girl not five feet from the fight. _

_A loud crash of broken glass brought her out of her shock and into a state of auto-pilot. _

_She didn't really care what Billy had done, or what the fight was about, she just wanted it to stop._

"_Billy! Raylan! Knock it off!" she yelled so loudly, it startled a few, but the little reprieve was over far too soon. _

_The fight continued on, and Raylan was getting his ass handed to him. By the fifth punch to the face from Billy, Olivia screwed propriety, that woman shouldn't get involved in fighting, and made her way to the two boys. Casually in the back of her mind, she cringed while imagining what her mother would say if she was present. _

"_Billy! Thats enough!" she grabbed at his arm, her words sharper than steel; she always had an intense voice when she wanted to. She was so distracted by Raylan and the disarray of his now bloodied and bruised face; she didn't have time to react when a fist came flying in her direction. When it connected, a loud smack could be heard everywhere in the enclosed space. The sound reverberated off the walls, and stuck in everyone's heads. _

_The place was deathly quiet as Olivia hit the floor. _

_Instead of being shocked, or even really feeling the pain, the brunette was pissed beyond belief. Every nerve in her body was on fire. The adrenaline rushing ramped through her body made her blood rush so fast, she thought it would burst her heart at the seams. When she looked up to a less than surprised Billy, he simply dismissed her and turned back around, looking ready to continue his beat down of Raylan. Every neuron firing in her brain all said the same thing:_

_Break his perfect face. See how beautiful he is after you get done with him. _

_She was only on the ground a few seconds before she stood up, and with all her might, grabbed Billy the jack-ass on the shoulder, spun him around, and punched him with every ounce of strength in her. _

_Instead of a smack reverberating off the walls, it was a sickening crack. _

_Billy screamed like a little girl and released Raylan involuntarily, whom he had been holding by the shirt collar and punching the hell out of, to grab at his now bleeding nose. _

_Raylan was to out of it to remember much, but when he came to in the guest room of Aunt Lola's, the tale was regaled to him by the older care taker. She had to restrain him from beating the hell out of Billy and told him, with barely bridled pride, that Olivia had broken his nose in five places, and that it would most definitely never be straight again. _

The story made her laugh now, but then… then it had been a time for reflection.

Her mother had always wanted her to be a proper lady, all prim and proper. The double p's always pissed her off, even as a young child. So it was rather off the beaten path for Olivia to be involved in a fist fight. But what had frightened her the most was how much she had enjoyed it. The adrenaline and the fun had by outwitting an opponent had her glowing for hours. The very thought had excited her, fighting, shooting, everything Raylan and Aunt Lola had taught her over the summers she had been in Kentucky.

"I do believe we kicked yer ass outa here years ago Miss Grayson." Marge, an impossibly plump woman in her late seventies came to the table once she heard an Olivia had order what little miss fist fight Grayson normally ordered.

"Marge, you know I never took that seriously. Besides, who else would make sure all your chicken didn't go to waste?" She smiled and stood up, realizing she was infinitely taller than the older woman, and they hugged gently.

"You know girl, people still talk about it, it went down in history it did. This old place aint never seen so much action," Marge had been head waitress at the time of the fight, and by the looks of her dress, she still was.

"Yes well, I tried to convince Jo he should've left the hole in the wall for memories sake." A sly smile over came both women's faces as a looked was exchanged between the two.

So… still no contact between the duo… but I gave a little insight to their days gallivanting together :D tell me whatcha think! Please RnR dearies!

Second chappie up, thank you all my dear reviewers :) normally

Kitty in a Cornfield- I still swear, I did not steal your characters name… they will/are very different… and they are interested in very different men ;)

Orlliie- I love your faves selection :) all my fandoms are included, its great! And thanks for the review

TwiCloiser89- I don't normally read Twilight fics… but I might check out The Mental Patient… :) thanks for reviewing!

Susy- Thanks for the review! And go Germany!


	3. Broken Promises

The sky was dismal grey, unhappy and contrite- as if it was expressing everything Olivia Grayson was trying so damn hard to suppress.

Over her life, she had always felt comfort from the cold. As strange as it sounded, but she was always in Kentucky during the burning summers. California was barely mutable in its weather patterns.

So when she had gone back to the good ole' southern state for Christmas one year when she was twenty, it was shocking-too say the least-when this cold white stuff was all over the ground… all over everything really.

Doctor Grayson smiled at the memory of that Christmas, it was one of the few in her life that she could remember she was actually happy. Her family attempted to come together during the holidays, but there was an unspoken atmosphere of unimportance surrounding such occasions. And the few traditions that the youngest in the house thought were established, more times than not, were dismissed after two or three years of use.

There was a strange sense of relief on the shoulders of California native as she reflected on those days.

"Olivia? Is that you child?" when the brown eyed physician looked up, her deep chocolate eyes met tired grey.

"Yeah Mrs. Georgia" The elder woman, somewhere in her fifties now, Olivia guessed, looked at her, hands on hips, with bewilderment.

"Bullshit"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"Back from lunch a little late today Art?" Raylan Givens gave his boss a faux look of disapproval, one a superior would give his subordinate.

"Don't give me that look Raylan, not when the thought of your personal life has my face stuck that way," taking off his jacket, the Chief hung it on the coat rack sitting a few feet from his office door. Looking casually over at his deputy, the man wondered if such a question should be posed. He had heard stories of the Bonnie and Clyde charades he and the now gossiped about 'Olivia' had done during the consecutive summers. However, he was hesitant to allude to this knowledge, or even bring up the subject. Having little insight to their relationship outside of the county gossip gave the older man a mind set of caution.

"So, who is this newly arrived woman people keep going on about?" pretending to tend to the de-linting needs of his dark suit jacket, Art stood in baited breath for the answer that he had little idea of.

"What 'newly arrived' woman?" Raylan kept his hatless head down, looking over paperwork from a case over a month ago. He had little interest in the gossips, and was a surprised that Art had taken an interest in it all of a sudden.

"You haven't heard? Oh, she came in from… California I think it was? She's an doctor. Apparently…"

"What did you say her name was?" This supposedly caught his attention, seeing as how he averted his eyes from his drawl desk assignments to look up at the man speaking. Raylan looked intently at his boss but gave little indication of the emotions going on inside of him.

"I didn't,"

"…Oh," it was the best he could come up with. Raylan turned his head back down to the case report he had been meaning to write for over a half an hour now. Shuffling papers indecisively for a few tense seconds, pretending to be off the subject, Raylan refused to look at the man standing in front of him. He didn't care who the new comer was. It was of no offence to him. It could have been Dolly Parton for all he cared.

"Grayson, Olivia Grayson" Raylan's head snapped up so fast, Art guessed he would feel the effects of whiplash for a least a week.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The laughing could be heard outside of the little home for miles around as the two women recalled the funniest stories they could in regards to the younger of the two's childhood.

"I was just a thirty year old trying to start over. I was going to be silent and make acquaintances and move through life… but your Aunt…" the tea cup that was in her hand stilled half way to her mouth as she looked off, her eyes and mind no doubt miles away.

Olivia gave a little smile and looked down, then turned, glancing at the picture of the older woman in front of her, back when she was in her mid thirties, the happy smile coupled with the white dress she wore standing next to one Mr. Calvin Georgia was an obvious give-away for the occasion.

"Good thing she did," the younger woman said, still looking at the happy photo on the round ottoman next to her. Her companion soon joined in, looking at just how happy Aunt Lola had a hand in making her.

"It'll be two years this next March," she said with a hint of depression in her voice, her Cal had liver cancer, passed only a year or so prior.

Olivia shook her head and muttered her condolences. Vaguely wishing someone would have contacted her, just as she wished someone would have contacted her earlier about Aunt Lola.

"When's ole' Lola's?" the sentence wasn't necessarily finished, but both knew Mary-Lu had no intention of finishing it.

"Tomorrow," her voice was small. The guilt that resided in her was still carrying on strong. No one had told her of Auntie's illness, nor that she wished to see her beloved niece before she passed. The illness in question was quick and efficient; she passed only a week after discovering its existence. All in all, it was rather… heart wrenching.

"You've seen that boy of yours yet?" Mary-Lu asked in interest, looking at her from over her cup of tea, sipping it casually. Olivia diverted her eyes to the cup she was holding, but barely registered what it was. Rolling it back and forth in her hands, her thoughts flew around her head like a caged animal wanting escape.

"No," _lame_ her mind said dead-panned. But it was true. She had not seen one Raylan Givens since returning to the great state of Kentucky. She hadn't even realized he was in town until she heard some folk talking about it at the diner. She had so many emotions run through her body; she wasn't quite sure what to focus on. The anger for him coming back when she had made him promise he wouldn't. The excitement at seeing him again- it had been far too long for Olivia's taste. The apprehension at seeing him again, wondering if he would scoff at her enthusiasm of meeting up. Or her sadness in regards to why he came back. She heard the story, and though one shouldn't normally keep up and take at face value the gossips of a small town, she knew it was true. She had seen the news; a friend of hers lived in Miami, and had called to tell her about it.

Not once did it cross her mind that Raylan Givens would have been the one that cause the uproar. Nor did she think he would become a lawman, a marshal of all things. In truth she had considered him off living happily with a wife and three kids, just one of those old friends you run into at a super market and chat about life with over coffee. No real connection ever made again, no action or shocking discovery. But here he was, back in town they had spent so many summers in, getting into all sorts of trouble with his temper and her crazy-ass plans, the duo was known as a force to be reckoned with.

Olivia smiled at the thought. Knowing everything Raylan had going on when she wasn't around during the rest of the year, or simply when they weren't spending time together in the summers, she felt happy to be some sort of good in his life. At least, she hoped that was what she was.

"Girl, you do know he will be there tomorrow," Mary-Lu watched the woman seated on her antique chair, looking critically into the small porcelain cup in her hand as if the answers resided, etched into the porcelain. The older woman's eyes rolled everywhere as she watched her watch her cup of coffee.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The day again, mimicked Olivia's mood. The skies looked ready to open up and down pour on all the people gathered together, dressed in black. Nearly the whole town of Lexington and county of Harlan showed up for ole' Aunt Lola's funeral. She was a hot committee in those parts; she helped just about everyone she came by. No bias, no racism or anger towards those who came to her. She turned down very few, and helped so many more than could be named.

"I would like to call a blood relative of Lola Grayson's to speak a few words. Olivia," the pastor gestured to her and she rose without thought. Unshed tears shone in her eyes as she lifted her head to look out at the crowd that was gathered at the local cemetery. Over four hundred people attended the service, and Lord knew just about every single one of them would show up at Lola's old house for the traditional pot-luck.

"My aunt," she paused for a moment her eyes down cast as she thought about the woman she was speaking about. Her hands pressed against the sides of the little podium she stood behind, holding herself up. "She was… everything I could ever hope to be. What we all could ever hope to be," taking another breath she looked back up and made eye contact with an old friend she had found after Raylan left- Ava Crowder. At least, that was her name these days. Or so Olivia had heard. Smiling gently at the blond in recognition, she received one back as well, and she continued on. "I have never met someone so loving and yet so God-damn stubborn in my life," the crowd chuckled fondly as the words were said. Each one of them knew just how old Doctor Grayson could be. "She loved everyone she came across; saw the best in people, even if they didn't deserve to be seen in such a way. She taught me everything I ever needed to know, everything that I didn't realize I needed to know," she sniffed a bit, down casting her eyes as she chuckled without humor. "I owe the good in me to Aunt Lola, and… I'll never forget everything she did for me, that she continues to do for me," sniffing again, she refused to cry. Wrapping up her little blurb was the only way to insure she didn't start balling in front of half the population. "May we all remember her fondly. With love, like I know she had for all of us," leaving the small make-shift stage quietly, the crowd cheered with very little enthusiasm.

It was a funeral after all.

"I'm so sorry for your loss," the thousandth time that sentence had been uttered to her was her breaking point. All these people, invading her childhood escape, bringing their saran wrapped home-made shit they called food. Their weepy little eyes and voices as they cried for a woman they barely knew.

She needed out, and she needed out now. Leaving quietly without telling a soul, not uttering a word to anyone, Olivia hopped in her car and drove through blurry eyes. The tears crowding her vision so intensely, that the need to pull over was emanate and shockingly urgent.

There had never been a time that she would remember that she had sobbed as hard as she was then. Olivia knew that if anyone was within a twenty feet radius of her, outside of a car, they would hear what sounded like a dying animal. She chuckled and then continued to cry at the thought. It was pitiful to her, sitting in the driver's seat, forehead leaning against the steering wheel balling her eyes out. Her death grip on the top of the wheel would no doubly leave impression, on her hands and the column alike.

Soon the sobs subsided, and the wheel was released. It wasn't until she pulled up to the motel that she realized it was nearly nine in the evening and that it was probably a very bad notion that she left in the middle of the 'after-party' funeral dinner… thing. She had no idea what it was called.

Her rented truck sat idly while she was lost again in her thoughts. They ran rampant in her head and she knew there was very little stopping them.

Sighing, she finally relented to getting out of her truck. The door closed by her hand but she leaned her head against the cool metal of the now closed door in anguish. She wanted no _needed_ a drink. Just as thoughts of raiding the mini bar in her Podunk hotel room came to mind, a car pulled up next to her. She glanced at the owner as he got out of the driver's side, apparently missing her presence entirely.

"Apparently you don't keep promises very well Mr. Givens. Or is it Marshal Givens these days," her voice was raw and rougher than she would have liked, but leaning her back against the blue door of her truck, she saw the man she had just addressed freeze for a second, apparently shocked at being caught off guard, and turned to look at her. Recognition flooded his eyes and a trademark smirk appeared on his now aged face.

"Does it count if it wasn't my choice?" he replied looking at his old friend in an elated way that was very rare for him.

"I'll have to sleep on it,"

**SOOOO, they finally met up- Albeit not the way most would … after a funeral and all. Poor innocent Aunt Lola… she had to pass in order for Olivia to come back…**

**Thank you to Susy and TwiCloiser89 for your faithful reviews each chapter so far :)**

**Welcome and thank you to Wildcat023 and jennifer-353 :)**

**Let me know what you think!**


	4. AN

A/N

Alright I know its been a loooong time for this story, but updates will be put on hold. I have two term papers and all my free time will be going to that for the next month. I promise this summer I will update this story regularly, but for now, I need to focus on grades, sorry kids ;) So kinda on hold for like a month… yeah thanks to all my reviewers, and ill let you know when I'm up and running again


	5. Hello Again

"_I'll have to sleep on it," _

Olivia stood her ground, back starting to go numb a little, the handle of her door jamming into her back. She barely registered this as her eyes were locked with the man standing a less than twenty few feet from her. He had aged well, grown into his nose significantly, and it would be a lie to say she recognized him immediately. Mary-Lu had informed her she would be staying in the motel room next to the one and only Raylan Givens, and informed her of what car he was driving these days. He looked tired, and she wondered if he was at the ceremony today. Her thoughts were a scattered mess, a million things clouding the fact her eyes had glazed over, she was looking straight through Raylan, and he noticed.

The Marshal used the time to study his old friend, she had aged well. The little baby fat that was left on her when he got out of Harlan had vanished. She had striking features, not soft, much like her. Her hair was a disaster but he knew it was most likely not normally in such a state. He had seen a few men walk out of the office today, Art not stopping them, and found it odd. He learned later when it was too late, that Old Aunt Lola's ceremony was that day. If that were a fact, it would explain a lot about the look of the woman in front of him's face. The bags were thick and her eyes coming down from puffiness, she had just gotten there and already looked haggard. Cocking his head a bit to the side, he took a caution step forward, looking a bit worried. He hadn't seen his old friend in decades but he sure as hell hadn't forgotten about her.

After a few more steps it seemed the noise snapped Olivia out of her ravine, and she found Raylan Givens within arm's length of her. _When did he move_?

"You look like hell Olive," his eyebrows creased with concern.

"You're not looking so hot yourself RayRay," he scowled at the nick name as she smiled innocently, Mary-Lu thought if Raylan had a nick-name for Olivia, 'Olive' then she should give one in return. Raylan hated the nickname, so did Olivia, but she called him such when she wanted to make fun of him.

"I can't believe you remember that…" he mumbled and she just laughed, a little worry leaving her face, the country boy smiling gently in response.

They stood there in their own thoughts for a moment before Olivia looked at him with resolve. His eyes catching her face in the light showed intense tear tracks that had formed that day. They were blatantly obvious, and terribly red. She really did look like hell.

"I need to sleep, I could very possibly pass out right now…" she looked at him one more time, then headed around the truck she drove to the bed, grabbing her suitcase. When she turned around it was of little surprise that Raylan had barely moved. Leaving on her truck with his arms crossed across his chest, he looked at her from under his tan hat.

Sighing she rolled her eyes like a child and extended her arm in his direction. He got what he wanted, taking her bag from her, he pushed off the truck and swept his arm in the direction of the line of doors attached to the building they were both staying in. He followed her to the door that lay directly next to his, and as she fished out her key from the various pockets in her jeans, she laughed when she saw the room number.

"What's so funny?" he asked with a confused smile on his face. She looked up at his inquiring gaze, but didn't answer, shaking her head gently. Finally she pulled out her key and jammed it into the lock turning it swiftly and pushed open the door. Stepping through the threshold she noticed that her company didn't follow. Old habits die hard she guessed.

"Yes, Mr. Marshal Raylan Givens, you may have the pleasure of coming in…" she stated absentmindedly, her back to him as her eyes swept the area around her, taking in her home for the next… however long she was there. The sound of movement near her didn't deter her sweep of the room. "It's exactly the same…" she mumbled, but it was not missed by the other occupant.

"Exactly the same as what?" he asked as she turned around.

"The same as the second summer after you left, I was eighteen…" she trailed off and let out a snort of laughter. His eyebrows rose to his hair line, eyes widening in accusation.

She just let out a laugh and shook her head grabbing the luggage that was still in his hand.

"And…?" he prompted as she left his side.

"And?" she shot back. They stared each other down, a completely innocent and confused look on her aged face. She bit her lip but her eyes never left his, she never was one to back down from a challenge. Biting her lip distracted the man in the room as his mind went down memory lane, every time he could remember her biting her lip came to mind and the memories flew past his mind's eye. It was odd that he hadn't seen her in decades, let alone thought about his childhood best friend. She was a summer fancy, never there for the rest of the year, but she had been something he looked forward to every year since they met.

"Raylan? You still there?" she asked in a teasing manor, but there was a concerned look in her eyes. There seemed to be a lot of those looks going around tonight.

"Yeah… I should let you get some sleep…" he said after a while. Olivia smiled in return nodding her head slightly in response.

Raylan headed to the door in silence, Olivia right behind him, just as he had one foot out the door, he remembered something.

"How long are you in town for?" he asked looking back at the brunette.

She looked pensive, she had no idea how long she was staying. They were reading Lola's will the day after tomorrow and then, she had no idea. There were plenty of people to take care of her estate, depending on what the will said, she would guess a few days. She only had a three days off of work, and even then, she was pressing it. Calculating it in her head, she got in Sunday, today was Monday, and they would read the will Tuesday, Wednesday most likely.

"I leave Wednesday, Thursday at the latest," she finally replied, looking up at him from where her eyes had been calculating on the ground. His face was blank when he nodded, and she gave a small smile back.

"Well… goodnight," he said amiably, giving her a bit of an awkward smile and turned to go.

"Night," she said in return, closing the door behind him.

An hour later as she was shuffling through her suitcase, she heard a knock on her door. Turning she wrinkled her brow in confusion; she walked the length of the room in seconds and yanked it open without checking through the peephole. Her eyebrows shot up as she saw who it was.

"Evenin' Miss Olivia Grayson…"

"And what can I do for you… Mr. Boyd Crowder?"

I know its been FOREVER I totally neglected this story, I'm sorry! Soooo first meeting ;) thank you to all those who are reviewing! Sorry again for taking so long, I will attempt to update this much more frequently!


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